by Clare Chase
‘Was that the man or the woman who came?’ she said at last.
‘The man.’ Bella shut down slightly in response. Tara guessed Blake had got under her skin, even if he hadn’t managed to make her tell all she knew.
‘Bella, I know this is hard for you. I can’t imagine any worse circumstance. But we do need to ask you to help us as much as you can, for Julie’s sake. And what’s more, I got the impression you were in trouble too.’
Bella’s eyes, which had been on hers, moved quickly down to the path under their feet. ‘What do you mean?’ she said after a moment.
‘DI Blake saw your reaction when he asked you about John Lockwood. He could see that you knew about him and Julie.’ Tara saw her flinch at the mention of the academic’s name. ‘You might feel better if you tell me all about it. And whatever happened, telling the truth is one last thing you can do for Julie.’
The young woman was still silent, her eyes on the thrashing trees ahead of them.
‘Given what we already know, letting us have your take on it can’t hurt, can it? You’ve got a lot of weight on your shoulders. This is one thing you can offload.’
She heard Bella take a gulp. She was fighting emotion again. ‘I knew that Julie had classes with John. And that they were spending time together. I think she liked him.’
‘She didn’t mind that he was one of the Lockwood family?’ She knew Bella had joined Julie and Stuart on the anti-Lockwood’s march, so she must be aware of Julie’s views on the firm.
Bella shook her head. ‘John doesn’t do any work for the company.’
Tara was still surprised. ‘So, you don’t think Julie got involved with John because of his family connections? He would have been a contact on the inside.’
Bella shook her head. ‘I think she just hit it off with him when they talked about the course she was doing.’
But Tara didn’t feel the student was telling the full story. She needed to be patient. ‘How did you find out that they’d got friendly?’ It wasn’t as though Bella was doing the same courses as Julie had been. There’d be no reason for her and John Lockwood’s paths to cross. Perhaps she’d only known about the two of them because she’d followed Julie. Maybe that was why she hadn’t confessed to knowing who John was – it would highlight the strangeness of her own relationship with the dead girl. The way she’d behaved had been tantamount to stalking.
‘She told me.’ Bella’s words were almost lost on the wind. ‘That’s how I found out.’
‘Julie confided in you?’ Tara tried not to let her tone give away her scepticism.
Bella nodded.
Tara didn’t believe it. She’d looked at the records the tech team had got from Julie’s phone – seen the way the dead student had tried to distance herself from Bella, noticed how often she’d made excuses to avoid meeting up. Would she really have invited Bella in for a glass of wine and regaled her with stories of her relationship with John – whatever stage it had got to?
‘Did she tell you how far things had gone? I’m sorry to ask personal questions, but it’s important. Do you know if they had a physical relationship?’
Maybe John had wanted one, but Julie hadn’t.
‘She didn’t say. I don’t think it was a big deal. That was why I didn’t mention it. Julie wouldn’t have wanted to get John into trouble.’
But her excuse didn’t fit. Tara had seen fear in her eyes when she’d mentioned the man’s name, just as Blake had earlier. What if Bella had followed Julie? And what if John Lockwood knew she’d seen the pair of them together? What if he’d threatened her to keep her quiet? What then?
She thought back to the flowers in Julie’s pocket, the mutilated heart in her room and the tears in her underwear. They made this look like a crime of passion.
And one way or another, John Lockwood had plenty at stake.
Twenty-Seven
‘I’m very sorry for your loss.’
Blake was sitting next to Megan in the Master’s Lodge at St Oswald’s. Sir Alistair and Lady Lockwood were opposite them, he on an upright chair and she on a chesterfield sofa. The master’s face was devoid of all colour.
Lady Lockwood looked blank for a moment, but at last she straightened her back and took a deep breath. ‘It’s not unexpected.’
Blake had guessed that might be the case. It was clear from their son’s home that he’d been on a downward spiral for some time.
‘Do you know the precise circumstances of his death?’ Her voice was still steady and her eyes dry, but he’d seen that before – learnt it could come from an almost trance-like state of shock on hearing the worst news.
‘We’re waiting for medical reports, but it looks as though your son became ill after drinking heavily.’ He’d be interested to hear what the man’s doctor had to say, and if there was any role for the coroner and Agneta in all of this.
Lady Lockwood sighed. ‘I’ve been afraid of this for a long time. He was making himself unwell.’
‘Through alcohol consumption?’
She nodded.
‘I understand you both knew that your son had become close to Julie Cooper.’ He watched them intently.
‘I’d been told that was the case.’ Sir Alistair rose from his chair and walked towards one of the tall mullioned windows that ran along the south side of the room. ‘But people here do like to bring me unsubstantiated gossip. I looked into it and came to the conclusion that’s just what it was. It’s not unnatural for a student to admire a fellow. They’re inevitably interested in the same academic fields, and the supervisor is everything the student hopes to be – intellectually, I mean. A sort of hero worship – if you like – develops. That doesn’t mean there’s something untoward going on behind closed doors.’
‘Was it Julie’s tutor who raised concerns about the situation?’
Sir Alistair turned to face him. ‘It was. But Lucien wasn’t expressing his own personal fears. I gather it was someone in John’s department who’d seen him having coffee with Julie, or something similar. It was hardly incriminating.’
‘But I assume it was your uncertainty about the truth that made you hide John and Julie’s connection from us.’
‘You have it the wrong way round, Inspector. I was sufficiently relaxed about the suggestions to be sure my son’s fleeting connection with Julie was irrelevant.’
‘You still made the conscious decision to withhold information, sir. You must have known we’d be interested.’
The large man looked him straight in the eye. ‘I did. But John was troubled, Inspector, and I didn’t want to make his life more difficult.’
‘Sir Alistair, we both know Julie Cooper was a passionate campaigner. As well as taking part in a demonstration against your firm, we now find she was associating with your son. And her laptop search history shows she read every scrap of online information relating to Lockwood’s.’
Blake hadn’t managed to ruffle the man. In fact, he smiled. ‘I’d expect nothing less, Inspector. We develop bright and enquiring minds at St Oswald’s. All our students need to have that sort of dedication to their pursuits.’
He was either genuine or well-polished. Blake tried not to feel cynical as he concluded the latter. ‘It occurred to me, sir, that if she was spending time with your son, over and above what was required for her studies, she might have been driven by the desire to get inside information. Something she couldn’t access on the internet.’
He shook his head at that. ‘That simply won’t wash. John had nothing whatever to do with Lockwood’s. He’s never worked for the firm – not even in the summer holidays whilst he was a student. It was only ever Douglas who wanted to get involved. And no member of the leadership team at Lockwood’s would discuss business with an outsider, family or not – it’s a cardinal rule.’
It made sense. Blake couldn’t imagine Sir Alistair’s approach being influenced by sentimentality.
As for the master’s declared reasons for keeping John’s connection with Julie qui
et – well, they might be genuine. But if there was any truth in the rumours it would make John a murder suspect, and threaten Sir Alistair’s reputation by extension. And it was quite a coincidence that John had been found dead the day after Julie. They hadn’t ruled out suicide. He could have taken his own life out of sorrow. But, of course, it could also have been from guilt.
Twenty-Eight
‘What is it?’ Selina had walked in on Douglas whilst he was still on the phone. She’d seen his jaw go slack and his face turn pale, but nothing he’d said had told her what the caller wanted. He’d just kept nodding and muttering: ‘I see.’ Now, at last, the call was at an end.
Her husband let out a long breath. ‘It’s John. He’s dead.’
Selina felt gooseflesh rise up on her arms. She’d only told the police about Douglas’s brother and Julie a few hours earlier. Was this somehow because of her? Because she’d put him under suspicion? Would Douglas find out what she’d done? And if he did, would he be furious, or glad? It all depended on the truth…
‘How? How did it happen?’
‘They’re not sure yet.’ His eyes met hers. ‘The police saw him through a window, collapsed on the floor of his study. It looks as though he’d got ill after a drinking session.’ He paused. ‘So those detectives must have made the connection between him and Julie – that was why they visited. When they got no answer, they went round the back.’
‘Do they think— do they think it might be suicide?’
‘I just said, didn’t I?’ Douglas’s outburst made her jump. ‘It’s too soon to tell.’
‘I’m sorry.’
He was pacing up and down the room. She’d read that the death of an estranged family member could have far-reaching consequences. Her husband was meant to feel guilt – and sadness that the last chance of reconciliation had gone.
She wondered whether to put an arm round Douglas, or offer to get him a drink or something. But seeing his hunched shoulders and rigid jaw told her all she needed to know. She left the room quietly. It was often best to let the dust settle.
Half an hour later, she arranged to walk past the sitting room. Her husband was still in there, but sitting now, rather than pacing, relaxed back in his chair, the tautness gone from his muscles.
She ventured in, still standing near the door. ‘Are you all right?’
He glanced up at her. ‘Yes. Look, I can imagine what you were thinking before. But Lockwood’s has bloody good lawyers and the best public relations people. Whatever John did or didn’t do – it will all be forgotten in a year or so.’
Though not by the student’s family and friends. Part of her felt it was horrific that that didn’t cross his mind – but it wasn’t his fault. He’d had that mindset ingrained from birth – it was spelled out in the Lockwood motto: family above all else.
She’d ceased to be shocked by his attitude – and his words also brought relief. If he really thought John was guilty, it meant Douglas couldn’t be. Since they’d stopped sharing a bed – and she’d started taking sleeping pills – she had no idea of his movements during the night.
For the umpteenth time that day she examined her conscience. No – it was honestly true. She’d told the police about John because it was important to their investigation – nothing more. But in so doing, she might also have diverted attention from Douglas.
Of course, now that John was dead, it would be harder for the police to find the truth. As she left the room, she could see her husband in profile. He was smiling to himself.
Twenty-Nine
It was the first time Max had conducted an interview with Jez. As before, Gilmour had insisted on doing the whole thing formally, so they were at the station with the student’s solicitor. Watching Stuart sitting opposite them, worldly wise, confident, and seemingly relaxed, left Max feeling they had a battle on their hands. He wished he’d got Tara sitting next to him – they made a good team.
‘We know you lied about John.’ He kept his look steady.
There was an amused smile playing round Gilmour’s lips. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘And we don’t believe you.’ Jez was trying to look as laid-back as Gilmour, but he was already riled.
The student smiled again. ‘That’s not something I can help.’
Max could almost see Jez’s blood pressure rising. ‘So you’re trying to tell us Julie was involved with two men called John?’ the new DC said.
‘I’m not trying to tell you anything.’ Gilmour dragged the words out, as though he could only just bring himself to reply.
‘Were you aware of her being close to two men called John?’ Max could keep his temper all right. That was one thing losing his wife had taught him. Life could throw you into the worst hell; it was worth saving your high emotion for those times, and not letting idiots like Gilmour sap your energy.
The youth shrugged. ‘How would I know what Julie got up to? She was an independent woman.’
‘What do you know about Julie’s relationship with John Lockwood?’ Jez said, leaning forward, his shoulders hunched. He was a big guy and Max could feel his anger in the air.
‘Wait, that guy who supervised her?’ Gilmour’s eyes opened wide. ‘Seriously? Jeez – he always looks half dead. I shouldn’t think he’d be able to manage any high jinks with his students.’
It was Max’s turn to smile. ‘You know what he looks like, then.’
Gilmour was silent, and Max was pleased to see his smug grin fade a little.
‘That’s pretty interesting, given you and Julie were doing different courses, and John Lockwood isn’t based at either your college or – of course – your department.’
He allowed Gilmour a couple of seconds’ squirming time.
‘Perhaps you’d like to tell us how you came to know about him, then. It’s a coincidence that your ex was involved with one of the Lockwoods – a son of the tycoon you’d each been campaigning against. That must have hurt.’
Gilmour’s look was sour now and Jez leant back again slightly, his frown lightening.
‘Answer the question, please.’
The student shrugged. ‘I went to find her one day. There was nothing creepy about it; I just wanted to talk, that’s all. I intended to intercept her after her supervision, but she and Lockwood left together. There was something in the way they walked – all the clichéd stuff – in time with each other, shoulder to shoulder. It made me curious.’
Jez raised an eyebrow. ‘So you followed? Just because you were interested…’
Gilmour rolled his eyes. ‘I suspect most ex-boyfriends would have done the same. In fact, anyone who knew her might have wondered. So yes, I followed. And once they’d got off the beaten track, he put his arm around her waist, and she leant into him. They were whispering to each other, and they kissed.’
Gilmour’s manner hadn’t changed. Max couldn’t see any fire in his eyes. His expression was still ironic, as though he thought the fuss was faintly ridiculous. It was weird: Jez looked angrier than Gilmour did.
‘And then you used your secret knowledge to persuade Julie to see you? That was when she let you into her lodgings over the summer?’
Gilmour looked bored. ‘Yes.’
‘Did you ask her for money to keep quiet?’ Jez leant forward.
‘You’re kidding, right? Julie didn’t have any money, unless you count what she made from waitressing.’ He didn’t sound insulted at the suggestion, just amused at its lack of practicality.
‘But presumably John had plenty of funds,’ Max said, ‘even if not personally, then via his family.’
Gilmour shook his head. ‘As far as I can work out, he was persona non grata. And anyway, there’s no way the family would cough up money over something like that. Their idea of helping would have been to set their pit-bull lawyers onto me.’ He turned for a moment to his own legal representation. ‘All due respect to you and your colleagues, but Lockwood’s legal team is something else. They spend their entire time making sure the Lock
wood family get away with murder.’
Jez was sitting forward again. ‘Under the current circumstances, you might want to watch what you say. I wouldn’t want you to have any regrets.’
The lawyer was on high alert again. ‘We should all consider our language,’ she said, with a sidelong glance, first at Gilmour, then at Jez, ‘and also our tone.’
The DC had made his warning sound like a threat. His bunched fists didn’t help, though only Max could see them, underneath the table.
Gilmour looked as relaxed as ever. ‘You can all calm down. I’m no blackmailer; money doesn’t buy happiness. I wanted to see Julie and I used the information I had at my disposal to make that happen. It was underhanded, but it worked, and there was nothing wrong with wanting to talk.’
‘Your message was threatening. You said you had evidence, and you implied you’d use it.’
The student pulled a face. ‘I never had any photos of them together. Let’s just say I exaggerated. Why would she see me if she didn’t think I had proof? Us talking wasn’t just for my benefit. We’d been campaigning against Lockwood’s together. Seeing a member of the family seemed like a risk. What if John Lockwood was secretly angry about the way she was laying into his dad? He might have been a rebel, but blood is thicker than water. Family loyalty runs deep sometimes. I thought she’d be safer leaving him well alone.’
‘And what was her reaction, when you passed on your message of concern?’ Jez raised an eyebrow.
‘She told me to mind my own effing business.’ He folded his arms across his chest. ‘And then she told me to let it go.’
‘And what did you do?’ Max watched the man’s calm eyes.
‘I took her advice. And – after that one visit over the summer – I never saw her again.’
‘Why did you lie to us about the identity of “John” to start with?’
